1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for installing spinal implants during spinal surgery and, more particularly, to devices for installing multi-section intervertebral spinal implants.
2. Background Information
There are many medical situations such as disease, injury, deformity or the like where it is necessary to provide support and/or alignment to and between adjacent vertebrae of a patient's spine. It may also be necessary in these instances and others to hold and/or fix a desired relationship between adjacent vertebrae and/or provide a foundation between adjacent vertebrae for fusion of the vertebrae. In order to accomplish this goal, spinal surgery is performed that places one or more spinal implants between adjacent vertebrae. The spinal implants are known as intervertebral spinal implants.
During the spinal surgery, one or more intervertebral spinal implants are inserted into the space between adjacent vertebrae (the intervertebral space) where a spinal disc normally exists but which has been removed. An instrument is used to insert the intervertebral spinal implant. When the intervertebral spinal implant has a uni-body construction (i.e. consists of a single component) the delivery and/or installation instrument may consist of a cannula or other simple device. However, when the intervertebral spinal implant has a multi-body construction (i.e. consists of multiple components) the delivery and/or installation instrument can become more complicated than a simple cannula. Moreover, the delivery/installation instrument design may be dependant on the configuration of the multi-body intervertebral spinal implant or the manner of installing the multi-body intervertebral spinal implant. When the multi-body intervertebral spinal implant comprises a plurality of sections or components the delivery/installation instrument can become complicated. Furthermore, where the number of sections or components of the multi-body intervertebral spinal implant is not determined until the time of installation (i.e. during the spinal surgery), the delivery/installation instrument becomes further complicated.
Accordingly, there presently exists a need for an improved multi-section intervertebral spinal implant delivery/installation device that allows the delivery and construction of a multi-section intervertebral spinal implant in situ.